RANCHO CUCAMONGA – A drug dealer, a drag queen and an exotic dancer help tell the story of “Rent,” which opens Friday night at the Lewis Family Playhouse.

It’s risque stuff for a Victoria Gardens stage but director Ron Kellum isn’t worried. He was a bit worried last year when he directed the Broadway musical for the first time in Birmingham, Ala., a Bible Belt community that might not embrace such taboo themes of drugs, AIDS and homosexuality.

Kellum was wrong.

“The audience were on their feet every single night,” Kellum recalled. “I think they ultimately realized the heart of everyone’s stories rather than be blocked by their personal judgements.”

Kellum remembers watching a couple in their 70s in the Birmingham audience.

“I watched when they were horrified. I watched when they were moved and I watched when they were very uncomfortable,” Kellum said. “And then I saw them at the end sobbing and on their feet. That couple was the first to stand up.”

“Rent” is a Pulitzer Prize- and Tony- winning musical that follows a group of young and impoverished New York City artists as they come to terms with AIDS and the disease’s deadly grip. The six-show run is part of the annual Broadway at the Gardens, a production that started last year in an effort to bring more sophisticated and edgy performances to a space that is often dominated by family-friendly fare.

For its inaugural show, Broadway at the Gardens staged “Sweeney Todd,” which cultural arts coordinator Patrick Hediger called “amazingly successful.”

At first, Hediger was concerned about how “Sweeney Todd” would be received, in part because cannibalism is one of the musical’s overarching theme.

“I think I underestimated the climate of Rancho in terms of innovative cultural arts,” Hediger said. “I think (Broadway at the Gardens) has found its niche and it’s only going to grow.”

Hediger brought Kellum on board to direct “Rent” and Courtney Corey, who was in the original national tour of “Rent,” to co-direct.

Kellum, 45, is a Broadway performer with “Chicago” and “Dreamgirls” on his resume. More recently Kellum, who is based in Los Angeles, choreographed the opening sequence of the upcoming “Ironman 2.”

More than a decade after Jonathan Larson’s musical premiered on Broadway, Kellum believes the stories about characters affected by HIV still needs to be told. It’s in conservative communities like Birmingham and Rancho Cucamonga, Kellum said, where AIDS might still be taboo.

“In this community we live in a safe environment where we think these things don’t have an impact on our lives,” Kellum said. “In actuality, it’s in the bedroom communities where I think it’s more important to discuss these things.”

While there are adult themes in the show that make it inappropriate for children, Kellum thinks the show is appropriate for everyone else including young adults, married couples and seniors.

“I’m sure there will be audience members that are uncomfortable. I think if they stay for the ride, it’ll open their perspective a bit,” Kellum said. “I think anyone who feels that the themes are too much for them should challenge themselves to see it because they’ll be surprised at the heart of the show.”

Fans of Lewis Family Playhouse on Facebook can see the show for $25 on opening night. There will also be a lottery line two hours before every show where participants will get a chance to win two free tickets.